# The Darkness!! dark splotches/spots/discoloration on my cigars...



## minicooper (Oct 3, 2009)

I've been going through my stuff trying to organize all the different stuff that's going out for this and that and I realized that a lot of the cigars that I've had the longest (still less than a month for most) are discolored. It is especially noticeable with the Conn. and Cameroon wrappers (I guess that should be expected with the lighter shading). 

There are dark spots and discolored patches. Also, in general, some of them look like a paper bag that has spots of oil coming through from the cheesesteak inside.

Another thing is that some of the wrappers look wrinkly. 

Does any of this sound familiar to anyone? I need to get to a good place with my humidor. I'm still paranoid over whether I'm ruining my cigars or not.


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## smokin nightly (Sep 9, 2009)

can you post some pics so we can see them? Just saying that it would be a little easier, for me anyway, to tell if there is a problem...it does sound like a problem though.


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## ongreystreet (Nov 3, 2008)

Wrinkles sound like over humidification.


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## minicooper (Oct 3, 2009)

I'll get pictures up tonight. In the midst of being tired and overly paranoid, I took apart one of my cigars last night. haha.


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## Scott W. (Jul 10, 2008)

minicooper said:


> I'll get pictures up tonight. In the midst of being tired and overly paranoid, I* took apart one of my cigars last night*. haha.


I hope you filled it with something yummy!


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## Habanolover (Feb 22, 2006)

minicooper said:


> I took apart one of my cigars last night. haha.





scottw said:


> I hope you filled it with something yummy!


Left over cornbread stuffing? :mrgreen:


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## ericb13 (Jul 15, 2009)

madurolover said:


> Left over cornbread stuffing? :mrgreen:


Now now, Big Poppa...you know they've never heard of cornbread stuffing above the Mason-Dixon Line.


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## minicooper (Oct 3, 2009)

OK. I finally got around to getting the pictures online. Hopefully someone will still be up for looking at them and telling me what they think.

In this picture, the one on the left is what they look like when they are newly purchased. The one on the right is what seems to happen to my sticks over time.









In this one, the middle one is the new one, the left is with a little time and the right is with the darkest spots.
In the pictures, with the flash lighting, they don't look so bad, but the left one has less, gradual color changes and looks more spotty in regular light and the one on the right's dark spots are really dark relative to the rest of the wrapper, in regular light.









So is this normal? Is there possibly something wrong with my storage?

Thanks!


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## ssutton219 (Apr 17, 2007)

The box pressed one looks like water spots which are normal.





Those are the only ones I see.



Shawn


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## minicooper (Oct 3, 2009)

ssutton219 said:


> The box pressed one looks like water spots which are normal.
> 
> Those are the only ones I see.
> 
> Shawn


Shawn: Do water spots appear after time? The reason why I'm a bit worried is that the coloration seems to happen with time in my care. I need to take pictures of when I first get them so I can see if they really are changing or I just haven't noticed until now.


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## Cypress (Jun 27, 2007)

Are you using a puck with the green spongy thing for humidification?


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## minicooper (Oct 3, 2009)

Cypress said:


> Are you using a puck with the green spongy thing for humidification?


Nope. I have a boveda pack in a tupperware, I have some beads and drymistat stick in my humidor and a few more cigars in a humidipak bag (basically a ziplock bag with a small boveda pack in it).

Side note, anyone know how to open up those pucks?


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## chu2 (Jun 8, 2009)

minicooper said:


> Nope. I have a boveda pack in a tupperware, I have some beads and drymistat stick in my humidor and a few more cigars in a humidipak bag (basically a ziplock bag with a small boveda pack in it).
> 
> Side note, anyone know how to open up those pucks?


X-acto knife and pliers. Most of them are glued together, AFAIK.


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## Cypress (Jun 27, 2007)

I have an idea. If you would like for me to store your cigars I can do so at no charge. I have a 15 cubic foot humidor. I can even make sure from time to time that they are smoking good. Let me know.:madgrin:


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## Perfecto Dave (Nov 24, 2009)

Are they too moist and warm maybe? Kind of looks like the start of a possible mold?

Not saying........just guessing.


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## Nurse_Maduro (Oct 23, 2008)

ericb13 said:


> Now now, Big Poppa...you know they've never heard of cornbread stuffing above the Mason-Dixon Line.


Not true...we made a cornbread and jalepeno stuffing this year, and immediately decided it was now our official traditional stuffing. YUM!!
Yeah I know that was of no help to the OP...just sayin' though.


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## minicooper (Oct 3, 2009)

Nurse_Maduro said:


> Not true...we made a cornbread and jalepeno stuffing this year, and immediately decided it was now our official traditional stuffing. YUM!!
> Yeah I know that was of no help to the OP...just sayin' though.


Great... now I'm hungry for something I've never heard of before. Time to look up some recipes.
How did yours turn out John?


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## Nurse_Maduro (Oct 23, 2008)

minicooper said:


> Great... now I'm hungry for something I've never heard of before. Time to look up some recipes.
> How did yours turn out John?


lol...this is now an official threadjack.

The best stuffing I've ever had, Richard...hands down. Here's how good it was: A couple of days later I get the idea to make a Thanksgiving pizza...so I cut a slice of stuffing out and sliced that in half to make it thinner and used that as the crust. On went pepper jack cheese, turkey, some green olives and into the oven it went..it was incredible.

Here's the recipe, pretty much stolen from the Nov 2009 edition of FoodTV Magazine. I'm not ashamed...just glad the gf picked it up! (This has got to be the strangest post I've ever made on a cigar board...lol)

Bacon-Jalepeno Stuffing:
===================
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large skillet *1/4lb diced bacon* in *2 TBS butter* for 5 minutes (I upped the bacon to at least a half pound cause, well, it's _bacon_, ffs. Don't ever do bacon little.). Transfer to paper towels. Season with *salt* and *pepper *and add *1 chopped onion*, *3 chopped celery stalks*, *1 diced jalepeno* (I threw in the seeds and ribs, but next time I'll remove the seeds; some people found the little microbursts of pain to be a bit overwhelming. Keep the ribs in though), *1 TBS thyme* and *3/4 tsp chili powder*; cook for 5 minutes. Pour in *3 cups of chicken broth* (I always use low-salt; you can always add seasoning, but you can never take it away) and simmer. While it's simmering, mix in a large bowl: *2 eggs*, *1 cup diced pepper jack cheese* and the diced bacon you cooked earlier. Then add to the bowl: *8 cups of toasted white bread cubes* and* 6 cups of crumbled cornbread* (I made it fresh, let it cool, then crumbled it in). Finally, add the broth you've had simmering. Gently toss, then spread in a buttered 9x13 inch baking dish. Dot the top with butter or turkey drippings (we used the drippings, but I'll be making this again on it's own so I'll have to use butter then I guess), cover and bake for 30 minutes. Then uncover and bake until golden brown, about another 20 mins.

Unbefreakinlievable.


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## minicooper (Oct 3, 2009)

Nurse_Maduro said:


> lol...this is now an official threadjack.
> 
> The best stuffing I've ever had, Richard...hands down. Here's how good it was: A couple of days later I get the idea to make a Thanksgiving pizza...so I cut a slice of stuffing out and sliced that in half to make it thinner and used that as the crust. On went pepper jack cheese, turkey, some green olives and into the oven it went..it was incredible.
> 
> ...


Wow. Sounds amazing, as well as an amazing amount of work. hahaha. If only Binghamton was closer and I could bribe you with cigars to make this for me... I'll have to send this to my girlfriend and see if she gets the hint. hahaha


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## Nurse_Maduro (Oct 23, 2008)

minicooper said:


> Wow. Sounds amazing, as well as an amazing amount of work. hahaha. If only Binghamton was closer and I could bribe you with cigars to make this for me... I'll have to send this to my girlfriend and see if she gets the hint. hahaha


Nah, not much work at all if you break it down. As for swapping for cigars...well I'm only 5 hours away...maybe we can meet halfway 

Hmmm...could be a new business starting here. Stuffing For Sticks!

EDITED to add: Actually "Stuffing For Sticks" sounds like it could be a_ couple _of different businesses! lol


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## minicooper (Oct 3, 2009)

Nurse_Maduro said:


> Hmmm...could be a new business starting here. Stuffing For Sticks!
> 
> EDITED to add: Actually "Stuffing For Sticks" sounds like it could be a_ couple _of different businesses! lol


hahaha! Yeah, we had better think that one through. lol


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## Smoke Rises (Dec 6, 2009)

my guess is (and this is for the greenish hue) that those sticks were like that from the get go. that coloring is due to moisture well before they get to the customer.


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## Hawnted (Oct 20, 2009)

Cypress said:


> Are you using a puck with the green spongy thing for humidification?


Is there something wrong with those? I have one in my humidor.


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## Smoke Rises (Dec 6, 2009)

Hawnted said:


> Is there something wrong with those? I have one in my humidor.


green floral foam which is what that is , can get moldy. it's the one reason for using hydrating solution. the solution is mixed with distilled water usually 50/50 but not always. you can mix your own but it ends up close to the same price of the store bought stuff.

beads are the way to go or Boveda packs.sometimes when you buy a box of cigars there's a similar pack in there from the factory.it's the same thing only smaller.

the negative of the floral foam is too wet and it develops mold. when you use the solution it can clog the foam.hope this little bit of info helps


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## Hawnted (Oct 20, 2009)

Smoke Rises said:


> green floral foam which is what that is , can get moldy. it's the one reason for using hydrating solution. the solution is mixed with distilled water usually 50/50 but not always. you can mix your own but it ends up close to the same price of the store bought stuff.
> 
> beads are the way to go or Boveda packs.sometimes when you buy a box of cigars there's a similar pack in there from the factory.it's the same thing only smaller.
> 
> the negative of the floral foam is too wet and it develops mold. when you use the solution it can clog the foam.hope this little bit of info helps


Thanks for the heads up. I have 2oz of beads in there as well as the puck. Figured it would help regulate the humidor better, sounds like I need to take the puck out and just order more beads.


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